


Out of the Garden

by Randompersonnumber3



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Discovering secrets, M/M, forced vacation, soul mates, wanted to write fluff but came up with this instead
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-17 04:34:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28594056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Randompersonnumber3/pseuds/Randompersonnumber3
Summary: After a heart attack Mathias Shaw is sent away to a remote village and forced to "relax". There he meets Flynn "Middenwake". Shaw obsesses over the mysterious man and whatever secrets he is clearly hiding while uncovering more about the sleepy hamlet than he expected.AU where Flynn Fairwind went into hiding rather than stay in Boralus after his pirate days.
Relationships: Flynn Fairwind/Mathias Shaw
Comments: 20
Kudos: 32





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> This started out as me wanted to write a Fairshaw Stardew Valley fluff piece and spiraled with ideas. The village is made up.

Matthias Shaw looked out from the deck of the small travel vessel over at the little hamlet, Sea’s Garden. It was a small thing nestled on a peninsula between the ocean and the mountains that acted as a natural wall and defense for Elwyn Forest. It was so small most people didn’t know about its existence. The only reason Shaw had even heard about it before being sent here was his grandmother, Pathonia, had drilled every detail of the Eastern Kingdom into his head as a child. Well, that and some of the crops that grew on the sole local farm were occasionally used up in Stormwind Keep, particularly the blueberries. Shaw had made it a point to know everything about the keep’s supplies.

The leader of SI:7 frowned as he appraised it, arms crossed. It was… quaint. The location was private, remote, and had a lazy small village air about it. You couldn’t get here without flight or ship. He did not want to be here one bit. Yet here he had to be, as he had been ordered to “relax and recover away from the city” for a few months by King Anduin himself. After much arguing, protest and negotiation Shaw picked this village because of its location. It was only a one hour flight by Gryphon to Stormwind, and with it being so hard to access it had the least chance of someone recognizing him. And even though this was his compromise he still dreaded being stuck here.

Part of him was still angry at himself for getting into this situation, for his body betraying him and his heart giving out right in front of Anduin during one of his reports. He had always done everything he could to keep his physique in perfect condition, but the stress of the Fourth War must have been more than he realized and even his carefully maintained regime wasn’t enough to stave off a heart attack. He would have to improve it to keep this from happening again.

It wouldn’t be all forced “relaxation” at least, he would still get reports from Renzik, who he did trust to handle the operations going on, and he could do some light work such as organizing and reading reports but it was much less than he would have liked. He never had free time. He didn’t like to as it didn’t sit well with him. It allowed intrusive thoughts and memories into his head.Thoughts of blood, the Legion, and lost friends….

Shaw shook his head as he took his mind away from that train of thoughts. He needed to get into the mind of his alias anyways. He would pose as a scholar of Stormwind History who left to work on a manuscript about the keep, taking on the pseudonym “Mathias Greer”. Keeping the same first name was risky, but if he was to be here longer than a week or two he needed to be sure he wouldn’t slip and not respond to a fake name. Besides, Mathias wasn’t a terribly uncommon name and the people who lived in small out of the way villages tended not to get involved in Stormwind politics. A part of him would be surprised if they had even heard of Mathias Shaw, spymaster of the Alliance.

As he worked on getting in character the boat docked and a few men came aboard to help gather Shaw’s things. He went to the gryphon named Soar Wing that he had borrowed from Stormwind Keep to make sure the things in it’s saddlebags were safe, as it was where he kept the most confidential items. If he hadn’t had to prepare for months of living here Shaw would have just ridden the Gryphon in, but he had too many things packed away in the several boxes being loaded off the ship, most in the name of keeping his cover.

He grabbed Soar Wings reins and started leading it off the boat and on to the dock where the man that he assumed was in charge of Sea’s Garden was waiting with a wide smile. He was tall but had the body of a man who lived a comfortable life in his forties. His hair was black with streaks of grey, slicked back out of his eyes and his beard reached down to the bottom of his neck. **“Welcome Master Greer!”** He seemed enthused. **“I hope your journey was safe? I am Barnelby Stockins, the mayor of our little garden. I am sure it’s a lot smaller than you are used to.”** He chuckled.

Shaw forced a smile,  **“Thank you for your greeting.”** His eyes were looking around, memorizing the place and the men working.  **“I am glad you were able to accomodate me. I hadn’t expected there to be much space for visitors, especially with sudden notice.”**

Barnelby waved his hand,  **“Oh it’s no trouble. You won’t be in the town itself, but a small cottage that’s on the edge of Brickel Farm. It’s normally used for farm hands but you know how it is with small towns, the kids grow up with dreams of city life and leave. We’ve only got maybe twenty people left, not counting the children.”**

Shaw held back a grimace. He was going to die of boredom here if he couldn’t find something to occupy his time. Maybe he could return early, say he felt much better and was ready to get back to work.  **“Peaceful sounds nice, quiet to sit and write without distractions.”**

**“Good to hear!”** Barnleby smiled and clapped Shaw’s back, not noticing how tense the motion made the spymaster and assassin. He felt vulnerable being in just a shirt and breeches, despite all the knives he had hidden on him out of habit. Not being in any armor made him feel… squishy. He had no idea how mages, priests, and warlocks could face down old gods and fallen heroes without at least a thick leather between them, though he wouldn’t say so to their faces. Mages in particular had enough ego and he didn’t need to inflate it anymore.

A man driving a cart with one horse rode up to them, a relaxed grin on his face. Shaw eyed him up and down. The man seemed much taller than the average Stormwind citizen, chestnut hair tied back in a ponytail. His mouth was framed by a handlebar mustache with a goatee underneath it. It actually seemed similar to Shaw’s own facial hair, though he preferred a handlebar mustache. Shaw eyed him suspiciously, something about this man seemed familiar though he couldn’t place it.

The man must have noticed Shaw taking in his look and winked,  **“Like what you see?”** His accent revealed he was Kul’Tiran. Odd, why would a Kul’tiran be here? This wasn’t exactly a hot spot for foreign visitors. Shaw found himself very curious about this man now. Perhaps it was the dread of impending boredom, but he was now determined to figure out who this tall stranger was.

**“Flynn! Good timing!”** Barnelby turned to Shaw,  **“This here is Flynn Middenwake, he’ll be taking you and your things to the cottage you’ll be staying at. He’s a farmhand there and occasional dockworker here when needed.”**

**“A pleasure to meet you.”** Shaw nodded at the man as Flynn jumped off the cart to load up Shaw’s things. The man carried himself with a confident swagger, and as he walked by there was a vague smell of ale. Was he even sober?

**“Pleasure’s all mine mate.”** Flynn winked at him again,  **“Been a while since I had a fresh pretty face to flirt with.”** He lifted up one of the boxes and hauled it into the cart with practiced ease.

**“Flynn!”** Barnelby looked annoyed and shook his head, a resigned smile on his lips while Shaw just stared, a slight blush creeping up his face. It had been a long time since anyone flirted with him so blatantly, not since he was a young man in his twenties in fact. A part of his brain didn’t know how to react to it. Thinking back to a minute ago he realized that the first thing the Kul’Tiran had said to him was flirting too. And he had missed it.

**“It’s… it’s alright.”** Shaw insisted though he kept watching Flynn as he loaded up the carriage. Flynn had caught him off guard. And that meant he was dangerous. Shaw would have to be on his toes if he was to live with regular contact with this man. Dammit, why wouldn’t his blush go down? He wasn’t some young school girl. He was a spymaster in his mid-years! He refused to acknowledge a part of him liked and wanted the attention. Romance and flirting was a distraction from work anyways. Love gets you killed. It was for civilians and not himself. All lessons Pathonia had drilled into his brain ever since he was a child and his history with Van Cleef had proven her right.

**“Good, didn’t want to start off on the wrong foot.”** Flynn finished loading up the cart. He went to climb back on to the front and looked down at Matthias.  **“Gonna ride next to me? I promise I don’t bite, unless you want me to.”**

Shaw put every effort of willpower he could muster to keep his expression neutral. He went to Soar Wing’s side,  **“I think I’d better ride this fellow, he’s probably restless after the long voyage.”** There, a suitable enough reason to avoid getting close to this man.

Flynn shrugged,  **“Suit yourself.”** He said as Shaw climbed on to Soar Wing’s back and they took off to the farmland where Shaw would be staying.

The ride wasn’t too long, maybe half an hour ground travel and somehow Flynn Middenwake had not let a single second of silence pass between them. He was gossiping about everything and nothing. Shaw knew idle chatter could reveal a lot about the person doing most of the talking but the only thing he learned about Flynn in the half hour was he seemed to spend an extraordinary amount of time drunk at the tavern. Perhaps so much that it managed to stay in business from Flynn alone. 

**“So how did you end up here?** ” Shaw asked when he finally had a chance to talk, faking a relaxed traveler’s tone. This was what he was truly curious about. There was more to Flynn Middenwake than the man let out.  **“I’d recognize a Kul’tiran accent anywhere and you’re voice is drenched in it..”**

**“Oh, I was a sailor going from port to port. Slept in one day, crew left me, and I decided I liked it here well enough to stay.”** He shrugged,  **“I do miss the sea of course, sometimes I’ll scratch the itch by helping out Old Willy Baitsbottom with the fishing, but I’m fine here.”** He shrugged. He had done his best to hide it but Shaw’s trained ear could find the lie in his tone. He was hiding something, perhaps several somethings. Shaw needed to know who this man really was.

At last they reached the cottage.  **“After we unload I can go get some hay and things for this beaut,”** Flynn gestured to Soar Wing who Shaw was leading to a trough he saw in a small stable connected to the building,  **“can have a proper nest to sit in.”**

Shaw nodded as he gave the Gryphon a quick grooming,  **“That would be appreciated. I can pay you for your time as well.”**

**“Pay? You don’t got to pay me.”** Flynn laughed and wrapped an arm around Shaw’s shoulder’s in a playful manner. If he noticed Shaw’s body instinctively tense he didn’t show it.  **“We’re gonna be neighbors for a bit, just being friendly. But if you insist on paying me, then you can pay me by coming to the Three Maidens tonight, that’s the local tavern.”**

**“I’d rather stay in tonight.”**

**“Nonsense! You’re tired from your trip and this way you don’t have to cook. Eleanor makes a mean fish stew, and her wife’s seasonal tarts are the things written about in legends! I’ll even pay for a round for you.”**

Shaw thought for a second. Perhaps with more alcohol in his system the Kul’Tiran would be more likely to open up and let more slip. But he needed time to settle in and set up the drop off point for the druid who would be ferrying his and Renzik’s messages back and forth to each other.  **“Could you give me a few hours to get settled in first?”** He asked. A few hours should be all he needed. He didn’t particularly care about getting unpacked anyways.

Flynn grinned,  **“Of course, mate!”** He clapped his back.  **“I’ll come back in a few hours with the stuff for the nest and we can get going. You won’t regret it, especially as Eleanor recently got some brews in stock from Ironforge. Best tasting ale I’ve had in years!”** He went to climb back into the cart.  **“I’ll see you in a bit!”** He waved and took off, singing to himself as he no longer had a companion to chatter aimlessly to.

Now that Flynn was gone the silence felt deafening. In fact, this whole place was much more quiet than Shaw had grown used to living in Stormwind or the time he spent in Boralus during the fourth war. It was both unnerving and a relief. It meant it was harder to sneak up on him but it was also just… different. 

He pushed the thoughts out of his mind and pulled out some parchment and ink from one of the crates that had come with him. He did a detailed drawing of Flynn Middenwake and wrote for Renzik to look into whoever this could be. He wished he had access to SI:7s resources out here but it would have partially defeated the purpose of his being sent here. He wasn’t supposed to be working. This, however, wasn’t work. Not officially. This was to satiate his own curiosity and to fill his sudden ample time. He tucked it into his pocket and went outside the cabin to put some blankets on a clothesline to air out. One of these had been made by Night Elves and was a signal to the druid messenger where he was staying. He hoped they were not far away, he didn’t want Flynn Middenwake to be here when they arrived.

He had just finished unpacking what in his mind were the essentials when a large bird flew to a window he had opened. It dropped some silverleaf and peacebloom on the mantle, the sign it was a friend. Shaw gestured for it to come in. The bird shifted into a Night Elf woman, tall with green marks running down her face and her hair braided tightly down to the middle of her back. Her face was also scarred from the burning of Teldrassil, like many of her kin.

Shaw only knew her in passing but she had the trust of many of his employees whose opinions he respected.  **“Mr. Greer.** ” She said, a slight smirk on her lips, as if being in on his alias was a treat for her.

**“Ryrin Moonsgrace.”** He nodded at her. He handed her the drawing of Flynn,  **“For Reznik.”** He said and went to show her the drop off point he had established, not wasting any time.

She shook her head, laughing.  **“You are already working again? You must be awful at vacations.”** She tucked the note into a secret pocket in her shirt before shifting back into a bird and following. Shaw ignored the jab. She didn’t need to know details as her job was merely to deliver messages back and forth, not to be someone for him to banter with. 

There was a well about twenty yards from the cottage and next to it Shaw had placed a hollowed out rock that blended perfectly with the fallen stones littered on the ground.  **“I will check this stone in the morning and night. I don’t plan on having any more face to face interactions until I am back in my office.”** He explained, showing her where the letters could be safely hidden.

Ryrin gave a caw that sounded like another laugh and poked the stone with her beak.  **“Do you have any questions?”** Shaw crossed his arms, it seemed simple enough. The druid shook her head and went to fly off to Stormwind to deliver the message. Shaw watched her in the air for a minute before heading back inside the cabin to prepare for a night out drinking with the mysterious Flynn Middenwake.


	2. At The Three Maidens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flynn takes Mathias to meet some of the locals and play a card game

The doors to The Three Maidens tavern burst open as Flynn Fairwind, known to the community as Flynn Middenwake, walked in. He was followed by the newcomer Mathias Greer, who didn’t seem to be too amused to be there. Flynn knew there was more to the scholar than he let on, but it wasn’t his business to pry. He just wanted to have a good time and maybe hear some news about the Fourth War. It had been years since he was last in Kul’Tiras, but it had been his home port for so long that he couldn’t help but be concerned for what had happened to it, even if Freehold was filled with nothing but greedy murdering pirates. 

He saw two of his regular drinking mates, Mike and Ray… or was it Mark and Roy? It had become a joke that he could never keep it straight and he swore they kept changing it just to fuck with him. He grinned and waved at them,  **“Mike! Ray! Good to see you! Have you met my good friend Mat here?”**

**“It’s Mark and Roy.”** The taller of the two men rolled his eyes and gestured for the two men to join them.  **“Good timing though, Middenwake. Ray and I were about to play a game and if you two join in we can get some poker going.”**

**“Gambling! Twist my rubber arm, Mark!”** Flynn grinned and sat down.

**“It’s Mike.”**

**“You with the mole.”**

Mike/Mark laughed and went to shuffle cards. Mathias sat down as well and as he did so Eleanor came over to get them drinks. Flynn ordered a giant tankard of mead and looked at Mathias for his drink. The newcomer asked for their wine selection. **“Classy man, eh?”** He elbowed him with a wink,  **“I like that.”**

Mathias turned a shade of pink.  **“Why do I feel like you ‘like’ anything that crosses your path?”** He mumbled before picking his wine for the night.

**“Read me like a book.”** Flynn laughed, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Mathias sighed and pushed him off but Flynn noticed how he tensed up. A slight uncertainty and he was ready for a fight. This man had seen action of some kind. One clue unlocked. How many more to find?

Cards were shuffled as drink and food were brought out. They weren’t using real money today, Flynn had cleaned out all the other men in the village enough that no one wanted to play for real against him. People always underestimated him and he prefered it that way. In fact, a lot of his drunken antics were done when he was mostly sober. Being drunk was just too risky, someone might find out who he really was and people didn’t take too kindly to pirates, even those who ran away from that life and never looked back.

Slipping into a quiet life here had been hard at first, his heart ached for the sea and the adventure. But over time he adjusted and it was...fine. He had friends with Mike and Ray among others. Eleanor was sweet and her wife Anita was the best cook in all of Azeroth. It was quiet, a bit… okay extremely dull, but not a bad life per se.

**“So, Mathias, you’re from the capital, get up to the keep often?”** Ray asked, glancing down at his hand before throwing some into a pile and being dealt more cards.

**“Well yes… it’s the focus of my studies, well mostly learning what was lost before the reconstruction.”** Mathias said, barely glancing at his cards. Flynn noted he was more focused on the other men than his own hand.

**“Have you met a cook named Trevis? He’s my cousin, still writes to me when he can.”** Ray asked, groaning as he folded. Clearly luck wasn’t on his side. Flynn glanced down at his hand, luck was definitely on his side though. 

**“No, sorry. I don’t spend time in the kitchens.”** Mathias replied as he gestured that he was staying in the round. Excellent! It was always more fun to win when you could actually show off your amazing hand and triumph over everyone else! Flynn wasn’t above a good gloat in any way shape or form.

**“Are you telling me you don’t know everyone in Stormwind?”** Flynn put on a show of mock surprise as he threw in a few items that were used in place of chips, “ **Sure you know every human at least? Or gnome? Can’t be too many of those… worgen?”**

**“I know several dwarves, worgen, night elves, gnomes, among others. Just not every one who lives in the capital, despite my best attempts.”** He replied dryly. Flynn raised an eyebrow with a grin. Was that a joke? He had started to believe that the scholar was too stiff for jokes.

**“Well you won’t have that problem here.”** Mike showed his hand with a confident grin, two pairs. Not great, not terrible.  **“It’s small enough here that everyone knows what everyone had for breakfast.”**

**“Eggs and toast.”** Ray nodded, gesturing to Flynn who grinned.

**“Guilty as charged, though you forgot the apple jam your wife gave me.”** He laid down his hand, a straight.  **“Sorry Mike-”**

**“Mark.”**

**“Whatever. Looks like I won this hand.”** He went to the grand pile of whatever they could find not actually worth anything when Mathias grabbed his wrist.

**“Sorry, Mr. Middenwake. I think I have you beat.”** He laid down five cards on Flynn’s hands. All hearts. **“Flush trumps a straight, right?”**

Flynn just stared for a moment, a little astounded. He hadn’t noticed a thing on Mathias’s face. No tells or anything. He flashed a smile at the man and conceded the pot.  **“Damn, you probably have the best poker face I have ever seen! Might have to play you for actual money at this rate, these two’s tells can be seen a mile away and it’s just too easy now!”**

Ray gave a rude gesture,  **“Wanna take this out back? Can still kick your ass.”**

**“Two against one maybe, but I got my good friend Matty on my side!”**

Mathias gave him a side look, **“I don’t think you want me in a fight. Scholars aren’t known for their fighting capabilities.”**

**“But they are known for their unique stubbornness and innovation! I bet you’re better in a fight than you give yourself credit for, Master Greer.”** He clapped him on the back. Bloody hell was that a solid man. What kind of books was this man hauling around to feel like pure muscle? If he hadn’t already been curious about Mathias Greer’s life, he would have definitely been now. He also really wanted to see if it looked how it felt.

**“I promise you I’m not good in a fight, I’ve had friends try to train me and they tell me everything I do is wrong.”** Mathias assured him, looking uncomfortable.

**“I won’t have any fighting in my tavern, boys.”** A middle aged woman with black hair pulled back into a tight ponytail came up and set some bowls down next to the men.  **“I know it’s all fun and games but it took five months for me to get the wood to repair the tables from last time and not have it look like shit.”**

**“Don’t worry Eleanor.”** Flynn assured her.  **“We won’t damage the tavern again.”**

**“Again?”** Mathias raised an eyebrow at him.

**“Big Tony,”** He gestured to a giant of a man sitting and chatting with another man as they drank, **“Had a little too much and decided to try and take me on to show dominance.”**

**“Like you weren’t the one who was completely smashed and challenging him.”** Mike rolled his eyes.

“ **I don’t recall such a thing!”** Flynn faked indignation.  **“I remember being stone cold sober and Tony randomly decided my face looked better with a large indent in it.”** It was a half lie. Flynn had been… mostly sober but he had been intentionally acting more drunk than he was to avoid having another round forced upon him. He had underestimated Big Tony’s tolerance for friendly jabs too. Who knew the guy was so sensitive?

**“You asked him if orcs were allowed in the alliance now because you were looking at one.”**

**“It could have been a genuine question! I’m not a mainlander. I don’t pay attention to politics! Besides, I thought it was a compliment for how strong he looked.”** He got a glare from Big Tony and replied with a sheepfull wave,  **“Looking radiant as always!”** He called out before turning back to the other men.

**“At least you’ve made things more interesting around here, even if it’s costing me a fortune.”** Eleanor sighed as another woman, her wife Anita, came out looking. Eleanor went to see what Anita needed leaving the men to enjoy their dinner, card game on pause as they ate. Flynn was glad she didn’t continue talking, she could have let it slip he doesn’t actually buy as much alcohol as it looked like. Why his tankard was still mostly full.

**“What did I tell you about the stew? Isn’t it the best!”** Flynn elbowed Mathias again.  **“Anita there can cook the pants off of anyone in Stormwind. Better than your cousin at the keep, Ray!”**

**“Roy.”**

**“What are your names?”** Mathias asked bluntly as he ate his stew. **“You keep changing it back and forth.”**

**“Ha! I knew you two were messing with me! The truth exposed by the innocence of a… I was going to say child but that doesn’t fit does it? The innocence of a stranger!”** Flynn grinned in triumph. With that call out alone he knew Mathias was gonna be his best friend for the next few months. He wondered what shenanigans he could drag the mostly likely going to be reluctant man off to.

**“Fine. It’s Mike and Ray.** ” Ray admitted.

**“No it’s Mark and Roy.”** Mark joked.

Mathias looked unamused and gestured to Eleanor who came over again. **“Excuse me, ma’am, these two seem to have been messing with Mr. Middenwake for a while. Are their names Mark and Roy or Mike and Ray?”**

Eleanor gave the two men a weary look, she clearly was tired of people’s shit today.  **“It’s Max and Ron.”**

**“Way to kill the fun.”** Ron fake sulked.

**“Oh well, it was starting to get confusing even to me.”** Max shrugged and sat back. 

**“I swear you two…”** Eleanor mumbled under her breath before getting back to work.

They laughed and soon they were chatting about the dull daily goings on about life. Mathias seemed interested, though Flynn supposed a scholar would be interested in absolutely boring details about anything. Flynn himself though only put up a facade of interest. There was only so much talking about the same things he could handle. He liked it here well enough, but it did get dull as dirt at times.

**“So did you see any fun things in the fourth war?”** Flynn asked him after he couldn’t take it anymore.  **“I mean, I heard it was a right old mess, especially after the Legion invaded. We didn’t see any of the chaos here, thank the Light.”**

**“I… would rather not talk about the wars.”** Mathias said. Something in his voice made Flynn drop it. He wanted to find out more but that was the sound of a man who had some deep scars. Definitely not something to come out on the first day they’d met. Hell, Flynn had scars from his own past growing up an orphan in Boralus that he didn’t wish to share with anyone. Maybe they were things he would never hear about, and that would be completely reasonable.

**“Fair enough, it was hard on a lot of people I’m sure.”** Flynn shrugged and finished his ale.  **“What do you say, mate? Another round?”**

**“I think I have had enough, thank you. It’s getting late and I think I would like to retire.”** Mathias stood up and Flynn made an overdramatic gesture of resignation, following it with a cheeky grin and wink before he drained the rest of his drink.

The two men waved goodbye to Max and Ron as they left and Flynn jumped in the cart, patting the spot next to him.  **“Your chariot home awaits my good sir.”**

He could see Mathias roll his eyes as he climbed up. “ **Well that was a good night, you got to meet some of the locals. Ron and Max, can’t believe they’ve been playing me for years! Anyways, they’re other farm hands so you’ll see them around. They’re good guys.”** And soon he was rattling off on stories as they made their way to the cozy cottage Mathias was using while he was here. He knew he talked a lot, probably some sort of rebellion after constantly being told to shut up by all the gang members in Dampwick, but Mathias didn’t seem to mind. It was like he was used to listening to long winded tales which made Flynn eager to talk more so he did.

**“And all too soon we’re back.”** He sighed over dramatically as Mathias climbed off of the cart.  **“Hate to see you go mate, unless you want me to stay to test out the bed.”** He waggled his eyebrows. And just like this morning, the other man blushed furiously. It was fun getting stuffy cool collected types to get all flustered. Adorable really. 

**“Goodnight Mr. Middenwake,”** was all Mathias said as he went inside the cottage. Flynn smirked and turned the carriage around to get to his own small home. That wasn’t a no. Mr. Stuffy Scholar would get there eventually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slow update, but it's here at last! And hopefully the Mike/Mark/Max/Ron/Ray/Roy thing wasn't too confusing. Kinda started getting to me too and it was my dumb joke idea.
> 
> I feel like I wanted to say more here but I for the life of me can't remember.
> 
> As always reviews and feedback are welcome!


	3. A Piece of Nowhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shaw has idle time and Flynn shows him his favorite place on the peninsula

Mathias Shaw tossed and turned all night. He always slept poorly in a new environment and it had been a long time since he camped out in nature. Granted he was still in a cottage but the sounds were all the same as if he was in a bedroll under the open sky. And the noises were completely different from the bustling activity of Stormwind or the chaos of Boralus Harbor. It would take him a week to learn what were normal noises and what were not to the point where he could sleep.

It didn’t help that his mind was also consumed by the aggravatingly flirty man who insisted on being his friend.One that, as much as he hated to admit, Shaw found himself slightly attracted to. 

Just slightly. 

What the most infuriating part of that wasn’t that it was the first time he had felt emotions like that in ages nor the fact that the man was clearly keeping secrets. It was that Flynn Middenwake acted like a complete idiot. 

Shaw glared up at the ceiling, furious at himself for his own questionable taste. How could one man somehow pierce through his normally water tight composer? Even from the moment they met the… beautiful dolt had him blushing like a bride on her wedding day. This is why he had to find out who this man was. He had to be a trained operative or something who was skilled at manipulation or seduction.

It couldn’t be that Shaw was just lonely, touch starved, and had horrible taste in men.

Once the sun started to rise up on the cottage Shaw got up and went to make himself some coffee and a small breakfast of whatever the place was stocked with. His eyes kept glancing out of the window, checking for Ryrin’s shadow for the drop off. After he had finished whatever meal he had scrounged up for breakfast, Shaw went to check out the drop point just for the sake of feeling like progress on the mystery of Mr. Middenwake.

There was a small parcel of notes there. He hadn’t seen a hint of Ryrin all morning. That was actually a relief. If the Alliance’s famed spymaster hadn’t seen her while constantly keeping an eye out, some casual farmer or drunk idiot who was too flirtatious for his own good would definitely not notice the Kaldorei.

He took it inside quickly and sat at the small desk that had been set up and he started reading the reports. He had to force himself to look at the other reports first, he couldn’t get sloppy in his over eagerness and his personal project while on “vacation” was less important than actual goings on in the capital. If he let his own desires interfere, it could be the end of Stormwind. 

There was nothing of too much consideration in the reports, thankfully. King Anduin was spending too much time with a certain dragon that put Shaw on edge. Tyrande was still looking for vengeance against Sylvanas who was still nowhere to be found. Nothing new. Which was both good and bad at the same time. 

Finally he was able to read the note about Mr. Middenwake, hoping Renzik had news on the matter. He gave an audible sigh of disappointment when Renzik only confirmed he looked vaguely familiar but would have to look into it more. He carefully folded up the reports and tucked them somewhere hidden and safe. If he wasn’t stuck in this little bit of nowhere he could have found the information himself ten times over by now.

With the reports gone through and no new information on Mr. Middenwake, Shaw found himself with his worst nightmare, freetime. There was nothing he had to do. Nothing he had to get done. Besides making sure Soar Wing was taken care of he had no obligations and that unnerved him deeply. He didn’t even know where to start.

Shaw went to feed and water the gryphon, racking his brain to figure out how to be most productive with his “vacation”. Yes that was against the point but doing nothing was no way for the workaholic spymaster to be able to relax. He made a mental list of things he needed to get done, mostly stocking supplies in his cabin. Wood for the fireplace too. Yes. He had things to do. Just had to keep finding them.

Several hours went by and Shaw had accomplished a few errands. He went to town with Soar Wing to buy food and supplies, chopped wood, made sure the cottage had no repairs that needed tending to, and was now racking his brain for what he could do next when there was a knock on his door.

**“Evening mate!”** He heard the chipper voice of Flynn Middenwake call out. Shaw sighed to himself. Of course he would show up. He was like a cat who had decided that Shaw was his human despite Shaw absolutely not wanting a pet. He heard Flynn walk in and went to greet the pest.  
**“Good evening, Mr. Middenwake.”** Shaw said dryly. Flynn seemed to have the same energy he always had, and that ever present good mood. The burnette flashed a grin at him that made Shaw’s stomach do flip flops, which only annoyed him more. Who the hell was this man to make him feel like this? **“What brings you here tonight? I’d rather not go to the tavern again.”**

**“Nah, thought I’d take you around and show you some of the local sights. There’s a lake… well closer to a pond, that’s good for fishing that you might like.”**

Shaw thought about it. He should say no. He should try to distance himself from this dangerous stranger until he knew more about him.

But he didn’t want to.

Besides, the more time they spent together the more likely this talkative fool would let something slip. Yes, that was it.

**“Alright, though I don’t have any fishing equipment.”** Shaw went to grab a coat for the cool evening air.

**“Not a problem! I grabbed extras just in case. Didn’t really think a scholarly man from the city got up to much fishing. Where would you even fish there anyways?”**

**“There’s the canals that people fish in, mostly beginner anglers. They don’t catch much and some fall victim to the sewer beast.”** Shaw informed Flynn nonchalantly.

That caused the other man to pause. **“A sewer beast? Tides, that must be an ugly sight. Sounds like something straight out of Tol Dagor nightmares. Right nasty that. And it eats people? Mate, your Stormwind guards should get on that.”**

**“It always seems to come back.”** Shaw replied as he walked up next to Flynn. But he had given him a tool to pry more into the Kul’tiran’s past.  **“Tol Dagor… That’s a prison in Boralus right?”** He asked casually as Flynn led him out, grabbing the fishing supplies he had brought over.

**“Aye, and a rather nasty place from what I hear. Never been myself, never intend to go. I have met some people who were imprisoned there and managed to get out. Heard rumors it became more of a political prison rather than one to keep pirates locked up.”**

**“I’ve heard a bit about it, but not much.”** Shaw nodded, though that was a partial lie. He knew quite a bit about it, having seen champions of the alliance be locked up as well as raiding the place while trying to rescue Jaina Proudemore from its depths.  **“You probably know more than me.”**

**“Well I always gave the place a wide berth. People don’t come out of places like that the same and I would hate to lose my charm and wit.”** He winked at Shaw who just frowned.

**“For that you would have to have both in the first place.”**

**“Ouch! I think you’ve wounded me with your sharp tongue! I may need a kiss to feel better!”** Flynn dramatically swooned, leaning into Shaw who turned pink and pushed him away. Flynn winked at him again,  **“You know you look so lovely when you’re pink like that.”**

**“I don’t know what you’re talking about.** ” Shaw denied and quickened his pace so Flynn couldn’t see his blush anymore. **“I think you’re confused with the evening light.”**

**“Say what you will mate, I know the truth.”**

**“I doubt that.”**

**“Take a left up there, there’s a game trail that leads exactly where we need to go.”**

**“I hope this isn’t some elaborate plan to get me alone.”**

**“Don’t need elaborate plans for that, though I did forget the wine.”**

Shaw stopped and turned back to look at Flynn.  **“Wine?”**

**“Only a joke! Unless…”** He waggled his eyebrows. Shaw rolled his eyes and continued walking. He should be more on guard walking into the woods alone with virtually a stranger, but something about this man made him feel like he didn’t need his guard up. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He of course had daggers all over him in case Mr. Middenwake tried to do something, and he could handle several attackers at once should he need to. Maybe tomorrow he would run drills to make sure he wasn’t going to lose his edge. A sparring partner would be ideal for that but he didn’t want anyone to know just how good he actually was. No one would believe a simple scholar would have the skills of a master assassin.

They continued walking in relative silence, Flynn unable to keep quiet ended up humming sea shanties to himself as they walked. Eventually after the night had settled upon them, they came to the pond in question. It… was actually a sight to behold. The trees were open enough to let the moonlight through, reflecting off the surface of the water and illuminating the area. Wild flowers grew to the edge of the water which was full of reeds and lilypads. Shaw heard frogs croaking peacefully and a few insects buzzed around, relaxed. It wasn’t extravagant or anything fancy, but it was lovely.

**“Beauty, isn’t it?”** Flynn said, voice soft. It seemed even his boisterous personality didn’t want to disturb the peace of the place.  **“Probably my favorite spot in this whole area.”** He sat down and stared out at it, fishing gear to his side but he made no motion to ready it.

Shaw nodded and stood to Flynn’s side. He had been all over Azeroth, seen the amazing architecture of the dwarves, the forest of the Kaldorei who seems to build with nature rather than against it, the impressive and iconic work of the stonemasons in Stormwind… yet this small secluded area seemed to be the most amazing thing he had ever seen.

Shaw hadn’t ever really had a chance to just admire a place as it was. The first thing he always did with any location was take note good drop off places or areas where a person could hide in the shadows. He couldn’t just take in and enjoy his surroundings, it was a luxury assassins couldn’t afford.

But here, for some reason he could not understand, it felt different. This was the first time he felt… relaxed.

After a bit he sat down as well, keeping a safe distance from Flynn to keep the Kul’tiran from getting any ideas. They both sat in silence, just admiring the beauty of nature all around them. Flynn eventually broke the silence, singing songs that were unfamiliar to Shaw. It only enhanced the feeling of this place. This pond was… special and he found himself already bonded to it.

The moon rose high above them and Flynn seemed to snap back into reality after both he and Shaw lost track of time.  **“Oh blimey it’s getting late.”** Shaw felt himself coming to, as if he was in a daze.  **“Look how high the moon is! We’ll have to fish another day.”** Flynn got up, voice still quiet.

Shaw nodded, mentally kicking himself. He had never before in his life lost track of time or stopped paying attention to his surroundings. He could hear Pathonia lecturing and chiding him as he stood up. A careless assassin was a dead assassin and he had been very careless the past few hours. Why? Why did this man make him act so out of character? 

They walked back in silence. Flynn had his hands in his pocket and a general sense of ease about him. A part of Shaw was admittedly jealous. This man seemed to have no worries in the world, living day to day just enjoying life. Shaw hadn’t even entertained the idea of having that for himself. His whole life had been devoted to the Alliance, to King Varian and now King Anduin. He wasn’t really a person so much as a tool for the nobility to use as they saw fit. At least, that was how he was trained to think.

His mind was still musing about all of this when they got back to the cottage. Flynn waved him off, **“See you later, Matty. Next time I’ll remember the wine.”**

“ **There is no need for that!”** Shaw replied sharply, once again that cursed blush coming across his face. Flynn laughed and rode off. Shaw waited until the man was well out of earshot before going to check out the drop off. There was only one thing in it.

He rushed back into the cottage and quickly lit a candle so he could see what Renzik had sent him. He felt his hands shaking as he unfolded the single piece of paper. He felt his breath caught in his chest as he looked at the truth of Flynn “Middenwake”, a portrait of the man he had been obsessing over looking right back at him.

_ Wanted: Captain Flynn Fairwind. Crime: Piracy. _

**Author's Note:**

> Yes Flynn had the same idea for his alias's name as Shaw. Comments and feedback are always appreciated!


End file.
